There were more than a few surprised faces at the Red Bull Wings Academy Camp in Munich this week when Danny MacAskill strolled in and introduced himself to each of the fifteen young riders gathered for a skills workshop the maestro himself the next day. Despite achieving legendary status since his first YouTube video went viral in 2009, the friendly star from the village of Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye showed that fame certainly hasn’t gone to his head as he chatted and shared jokes with the youngsters well into the evening.

Bright and early the next morning it was time to get serious. The first of the three workshops focused on GoPro filming skills and covered everything from angles and lighting to cutting and editing. Next up was a close look at the mechanics of trials bikes, with MacAskill quite literally taking things into his own hands as he tweaked, tuned and oiled his machine to get it ready for action.

Then it was finally time to hit the tarmac. In the idyllic setting of the Olympic Park, the progression on show surprised even MacAskill himself, who proved a patient and motivating trials tutor. “The skill level here is incredibly high. I reckon I could learn a thing or two from the kids myself,” laughed the Scot. Spurred on by his advice and encouragement, the youngsters began to pull seriously advanced tricks such as G-Steps and Nose Wheelies.

“It’s amazing to have Dany as a coach,” commented Florian, at 14 years of age the youngest member of the group. “I have learned as much today as I normally would in a year. Often you know how a trick should work, but you just can’t quite get it. Then Danny comes along and tells you to change one small thing – and that makes all the difference.” The session then came to a close with a bunny hop competition involving all the riders - including Danny! While the youngsters couldn’t quite match their idol’s enormous amplitude, their impressive leaps of up to one metre are proof that there are definitely some new YouTube stars in the making!